The draw of the suburban malls is not lost on San
José officialdom. They have eased parking, extended the coverage
of the pedestrian malls and, for the holidays, provided entertainment
like these dancers.

Merchants are happy. The downtown is flooded. Store hours have been
extended, and the strange custom of throwing confetti at passers-by has
been outlawed. The big deal is Saturday when the shopping hours yield
to the Festival de la Luz. Hundreds of thousands of visitors will be in
the city.

A.M. Costa Rica/Anne
Clark

More
than 500 concessions have been reevaluated

By José Pablo Ramírez
Vindas and the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Appraisal experts working for the nation's tax agency have completed
487 re-evaluations on concession land along the Pacific coast and 41 in
the region administered by the Cartago office, the agency said Thursday.

As A.M.
Costa Rica reported Tuesday, the results of these reevaluations
have caused panic in some areas where the new values cause the tax
bills to soar.

Jenny Phillips Aguilar, vice minister of income for the Ministerio de
Hacienda, provided these figures in a report released Thursday. The tax
agency, the Dirección General de Tributación, is within
the ministry. The project started in October.

The new values are for concession property found in the zona
marítimo terrestre, said the vice minister. The work from the
Puntarenas office included reevaluations in Guanacaste and the central
Pacific, she said. The Cartago office's responsibility includes the
southern zone, she said.

The specific details of the reevaluations are only available for the
holders of the concessions and municipal officials, she said.

The ground rules for the reevaluation are found in the Ley de
Zona Marítimo Terrestre, she said. This law calls for
assessments of the concession land at 60 percent of estimated actual
value. The

maritime zone law says that
the first 50 meters of beach above the mean high tide line are forever
preserved as open land for the benefit of the country.

The next 150 meters of the 200-meter zone can be leased to those who
seek to build a home, set up a hotel or take some other legitimate
action. But these people do not own the land. The rights are like a
long-term lease.

The appraisal experts also take into account the unique qualities of
every piece of property, said the vice minister. This would include
size, shape, proximity to streets and roads, topography and slope,
nearness to the ocean, availability of utilities and whether the area
is within a commercial or residential sector, said the vice minister.

The problem developed because the contract appraisers used the market
data approach to valuation. That is, they looked at actual sales of
nearby properties in the concession zone and used those numbers to
compute the value of the property being appraised. The valuations only
considered the land, not the structures or other improvements on it,
the vice minister said.

Tax rates in the concession areas are variable, too.

Since beach concession land has skyrocketed in value, those holding
concessions now face skyrocketing assessments and skyrocketing tax
bills. Some residents report that their tax bill soared from a few
hundred dollars to thousands.

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Bull-fighting conjures up images of violence and bloodshed for the
average Westerner who has grown up associating it with Spanish
torreadors stabbing the animals to an untimely death. Costa Rica's
version is a more festive and peaceable affair that Ticos count as one
of the essential components of the Christmas season.

Rather than one man standing with his red cape and sword ready to face
the beast alone, up to 150 Ticos fill the ring, hoping to get a slap at
the bull before running off in the other direction. The bull never gets
injured, only exhausted by charging back and forth between groups of
men who have more to fear from it than it from them.

Costa Rica's most famous Corridas a La Tica takes place in Zapote, east
of San Jose's downtown, and this year it will start right in the
middle of Christmas Day, giving the participants a chance to work up an
appetite for dinner.

More than 4,000 people will be able to watch the spectacle this year in
a new bull ring that has been under construction since September.

From Christmas Day until Jan. 1, only Costa Ricans will be allowed into
the ring for the national eliminations. After that, the international
tournament will begin with participants from Brasil, Guatemala,
Mexico, the United States and Costa Rica competing until Jan. 6.

Two tournaments per day take place at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., apart from
Dec. 26, when it will be at 4 p.m., and Dec. 31, when it takes place at
8 p.m. There is an entrance fee of 4,000 colons, about $8.

Food courts selling essential festival fare such as candy floss and
fast food will be located around the site, along with bars, traditional
games and an artesania festival involving face painting, mascaradas,
music, dancing and theater that runs until Jan. 1.

La Guácima in Alajuela will also have bull event this year,
starting earlier on Dec. 22 and finishing Jan. 2, with an
entrance fee of 3,000 colons ($6).

Bull fighting will be at 3 p.m. on Dec. 25, 29, 30, and Jan. 1, and at
9 p.m. everyday except Dec. 26 and 28, with live music and many other
events going on each day from midday until midnight.

Smaller local versions will take place around the country, continuing
well into 2008.

The park of Margarita, Talamanca, will host an event on the weekends of
Dec. 14 and 23, throughout the evening.

San Miguel de Cañas celebrates from Dec. 21 to 25 in the Salon
Comunal.

Bull viewing for the beginning of 2008 is available at the festival of
Rio Negro, Cóbano, from Jan. 21 to Feb. 4, Cóbano's town
festival from Feb. 8 to Feb. 18, and Liberia from Feb. 22 to March 2.

San Andrés and Providencia
remain islands of Colombia

Special to A.M. Costa Rica

The International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the
United Nations, ruled Thursday that three Caribbean Sea islands
disputed by Nicaragua and Colombia belong to the latter country because
a 1928 treaty between the two nations settled the issue.

But judges at the court which sits in The Hague also ruled that
they do have jurisdiction to rule on the sovereignty of three other
cays and the delineation of the maritime boundary between Colombia and
Nicaragua.

Nicaragua had launched action at the court, arguing that it should be
granted sovereignty over the islands of San Andrés, Providencia
and Santa Catalina, and over the cays of Roncador, Quitasueño
and Serrana. The islands are a major resort destination although
they are north of Costa Rica off the Nicaraguan Caribbean coast.

Colombia raised a series of preliminary objections, arguing that the
1928 treaty between the two nations and the 1948 Pact of Bogotá
mean the court does not have jurisdiction.

By a majority of 13 to four, the judges found that the treaty had
settled the question over the three islands, noting that Nicaragua did
not contest the treaty’s validity for more than 50 years after it was
signed.

“At no time in those 50 years did Nicaragua contend that the treaty was
invalid for whatever reason, including that it had been concluded in
violation of its constitution or under foreign coercion,” according to
Thursday’s judgement. “On the contrary, Nicaragua has, in significant
ways, acted as if the 1928 treaty was valid.”

But the judges found unanimously that the Court can adjudicate on the
three cays — which the treaty specified it did not cover — and on the
maritime delineation between Nicaragua and Colombia.

Also known as the World Court, the International Court of Justice hears
disputes between states and its decisions are binding and without
appeal.

I hold a degree in international affairs from Rutgers and am retired
from the diplomatic service, having served in posts in the Middle East.
Let me tell you, your comments were right on target, so don't let some
"lobbyist" for a cause other than America's put you off from expressing
your view.

Mr. Love should be ashamed of himself for trying to suppress the free
expression of your opinions. And the editor of A.M. Costa Rica should
be complimented for giving you that chance.

So, don't be intimidated by bullies. Stick to your guns and opinions —
and share them with a grateful audience that faithfully reads you.

Carl Robbins
Atlanta, Georgia
and Alajuela

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Erick Carballo shows off a
sword at Armoria Polini downtown while the earring was found at the
Antigua Aduana and is the work of José Rivera who
uses 25-centimo coins.

A.M. Costa Rica/Anne Clark

By
digging deep, some interesting holiday gifts can be found

By Anne Clarkof the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Gift-giving can be stressful, especially in a place like Costa
Rica. Alongside all the beautiful aspects of culture, craft and
landscape, there is a plethora of poorly manufactured cheap
stuff. Do you or someone you love want some unique but
reasonable gifts this Christmas? Here are some ideas for
some awesome possibilities.

Someone you know might like swords. First, take a stab at who
that might be and then go check out Tribal Tattoo in Mall San
Pedro. The elaborately decorated blades are priced between 30,000
and 40,000 colons, about $60 to $80. Some look like "Conan
the Barbarian" leftovers. The store staff claims to sell a lot of
them. Another place to look for a sword is at Armoria Polini, on
Avenida 1 downtown. Their swords are priced between 21,500 and 60,000
colons, some $43 to $120. Most are for collectors, but a few of
the Samurai blades could shred a home intruder.

Want an almost Louis Vuitton purse? You can get one in Mall San
Pedro. From far away, it will look like the real thing, and
probably no one will notice the duct tape you had to apply to hold it
together after the second week. But for 17,000 to 45,000 colons
($34 to $90), these knock-offs are more affordable than anything on
louisvuitton.com.

You might find a fancy dress for a holiday office soirée at Big
Mama, a store for tall women where most dresses are priced from 15,000
to 40,000 ($30 to $89). The wrap dresses are decent, but some of
the rest look like something you might see at certain expat
bars. You might not look office-ready, but at least you won't
care when that obnoxious guy from the next cubicle gets wasted and
spills wine on it.

However, with patience you can wade
through all of the cheap stuff and
find some nice local crafts. La Casona, off the pedestrian mall,
has
some nicer products once a visitor gets through all the shot glasses
and
key chains.

Souvenir Chirripó on the second floor of La Casona has Costa
Rican
crafts handmade by the BriBri Indians. Vendor Holly Tapia said
that
the jade animal charms are their biggest sellers, with the alligator,
turtle and frog rounding out the top three. All animals have a
special
meaning to the indigenous culture, Ms. Tapia emphasizes and says, “The
frog and alligator are the most popular but my favorite is the turtle
because I am a slow person!”

The prices range from 7,000 ($14) for rough jade to 34,000 ($78) for
the imperial green jade, which has more clarity and sheen. The
rare
black jade, found in the ocean, is the most expensive. The most
popular design in black jade is a triangular abstraction of the human
form, prices starting at $67. Ms. Tapia said she believes it is
not as
popular as the green animal jade because it has a more complicated
meaning to remember. She also thinks there is a correlation between the
price and the relative popularity of each item.

Tourists compose most of their business. “I think the people that
live
outside the country appreciate the Indian culture more," Ms. Tapia
said. Some Ticos don't appreciate the indigenous culture and
don't
know the real meanings of these crafts.”

The Diciembre Nuestro show at La Aduana Antiqua in northeast San
José
has several tables of locally-crafted jewelry, among the best being
José Rivera's Joyeria Artesanal.

He created bracelets, necklaces,
rings and earrings out of silver colon coins, mainly from the 1970s, at
reasonable prices. Diciembre Nuestro, the traditional holiday
gift
mart, runs through Sunday.

By the way, swords are traditionally worn on the left leg.

Costa Rica's health care system requires patience to join

Last weekend I watched
the
Michael Moore movie, “SICKO.” Although he featured the national health
coverage of Canada, England, France, and even Cuba, he did not mention
Costa Rica. But, of course, I thought about the system
here.

I have been a member of the government health insurance plan (Caja)
ever since I became a resident. Although residents can avoid the
red tape of applying for health coverage by signing up through the
Association of Residents of Costa Rica, I did it on my own. Like
most procedures in Costa Rica, it took time, patience and going from
one line to another, this time in the social security building
downtown. But being a pensionada, I had enough of both time and
patience, not to mention a good book, to sustain me. I was quoted
a monthly fee based upon my income as a pensionada, and paying it every
month is something I do diligently.

In a TV discussion about the possibility of the success of national
health coverage in the U.S., the current head of Kaiser Permanente said
it would be almost impossible because people would not accept being
denied the latest technology or innovations in medicine even if the
cost were prohibitive. He did not add the fact that their
insurance companies already deny them many procedures. Probably
because it does not mean they would accept being treated the same by
the government.

This is a problem that Costa Rica and every country with universal
health care faces. They have a budget. There are times when
doctors must decide "Do we shoot the budget for the whole year by
sending this little girl to another country to be treated because they
have the technology, experimental drugs, etc. to do so, or do we deny
her this and divide the money more equitably among more people?" I
would not like to have to make that decision. As a patient, one
day, I may find myself in the position of that little girl.

However, in spite of the long waits, the sometimes delays in getting an
appointment, and some of the generic drugs that are not considered as
effective as the expensive name brands, I will take this form of
medical care any day. Once I have paid my monthly premium,
everything is free. Apropros of the waits, a new arrival to Costa
Rica, a young man in his 40s, who was living in Florida, told me that
he began to feel awful and decided he needed a

physical check-up. The doctor told him he would have to
wait three months for an appointment. Instead of waiting three
months, after figuring out for himself what the problem
was, he sold his business and moved to Costa Rica. Another
incident I was told of, also in Florida, was of an older man who
suffered a broken foot just before the weekend and was told there was
no surgeon over the weekend and he would have to wait for the following
week. Florida may be having a medical crisis.

The most encouraging part of the movie "SICKO" was the remarks made by
an English gentleman whose name I didn’t catch (but by the end of the
movie I was in love with him). He said that democracy was what
changed
things in England because the vote replaced the influence of the rich
upper classes. And after World War II it was noted that during
wartime
there was full employment making all the things necessary to destroy so
why couldn’t full employment be attained through building things like
hospitals and
training people to staff them and saving lives. (Or words to that
effect.) Their national health coverage started in 1948.

He also said that he thought the difference between some countries is
that the government is afraid of the people and thus do their bidding,
whereas in other countries the people are afraid of the
government.
And they are kept afraid through fear, and concern over whether or not
they can make a living.

I do not think the people of Costa Rica are afraid of their government.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Costa Rican employees pay 9 percent of
their salaries to
the Caja Costarricense de Seguros Social. Much of that goes to support
medical care for employed persons, their dependents and the
self-employed or others who make monthly payments like Jo Stuart.
Employers pay the Caja an amount equal to 25 percent of the salaries
that have been disbursed each month. Employers also pay for workman's
compensation insurance on their employees, and the Instituto Nacional
de Seguros, the insurance monopoly, maintains a chain of hospitals and
clinics specifically for work-related injuries and illnesses.

Two
policemen will go to trial in death of Nicaraguan by dogs two years ago

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Two Fuerza Pública officers will go to trial for simple murder
or manslaughter in the death of a Nicaragua sneak thief who was
attacked and killed by two guard dogs two years ago. That was the
decision by the Juzgado Penal de Cartago, and the decision was
confirmed Thursday by the Poder Judicial.

The death of the thief, Natividad Canda Mairena, inflamed
anti-Nicaraguan feelings and instigated at the time hundreds of jokes
denigrating the thief and Nicaraguans in general. The death
resulted in a diplomatic delegation coming from Nicaragua to talk to
Rogelio Ramos, who was then the security minister.

The basic allegation is that the two officers did nothing and allowed
the two dogs to repeatedly attack and bite the cowering
Nicaraguan. The
scene was at an auto parts yard

in La Lima de Cartago. The
victim had
to scale a fence to enter the auto parts yard. He was unaware that the
two rottweilers were inside. That was Nov. 10, 2005.

The thief was not reached by officials until firemen arrived and
sprayed the dogs with their high-pressure hose. Much of the attack was
filmed and showed up on local television. The man died in a hospital.

The two policemen are Erick Sánchez Torres and Asdrúbal
Luna Zamora.
They declined to shoot the dogs to save the Nicaraguan. The owner of
the dogs said he was unable to handle them at that point. The
Ministerio Público or prosecutor' s office is calling the case
death by
omission.

The Tribunal de Juicio de Cartago also will hear a civil complaint by
the mother of the Nicaraguan. She seeks money damages. The court will
have to set the date for the trial.

Law
officers quickly round up four kidnapping suspects in Siquirres case

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Two men, suspected of kidnapping, were jailed for four months of
preventive detention Thursday in Siquirres, Límón. Two
more men were arrested Wednesday, as suspects in the same kidnapping,
according to Poder Judicial.

The director of the Judicial Investigating Organization said that three
or four more men are being sought.

Kidnappers entered a house in Cairo de Squirres and took three men
hostage Tuesday night, including the father of one Judicial
Investigating Organization agent. Three men and three
women were enjoying a party when the kidnapping took place,
according
to reports at the time.

The women were tied up and
left in the house,
and the men were taken away said reports. The kidnapped men were found
and freed by Judicial Investigating Organization agents Wednesday, said
the director, Jorge Rojas Vargas.

During Wednesday the four men were arrested. The men who were given
preventative detention have the last names of Ortiz Jiménez and
Mora
Abarca. They were detained in Jiménez de Guácimo.

U.S. prosecutors have announced the arrests of four men linked to a
scandal involving an alleged campaign payment from Venezuela to
Argentina.The governments of the South American nations have denounced
the U.S. probe as a political attack by Washington.

Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday the arrests of three
Venezuelans and a Uruguayan man accused of acting as undeclared agents
of the Caracas government. U.S. authorities say the men came to Miami
to pressure another man, Guido Alejandro Antonini Wilson, to conceal
the fact that the money for a Venezuelan political campaign donation
came from Venezuela's state oil company.

Antonini, who has American and Venezuelan citizenship, has been at the
center of the scandal since he was caught in Argentina in August with a
briefcase containing $800,000 in cash. He arrived in Miami shortly
after the incident, and Argentina has asked for his extradition as part
of an investigation into the money.

U.S. prosecutors say conversations between Antonini and some of the
four men revealed that the money was intended for the presidential
campaign of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Ms. Kirchner took over the
presidency earlier this week, succeeding her husband, Nestor Kirchner.

In
Buenos Aires, she denounced the accusations as an attempt to damage
her new presidency. President Kirchner said the attacks against her
will fail, and that she may be a woman, but she will not allow others
to pressure her. She also vowed to maintain close ties with Venezuela's
President Hugo Chávez, a fierce critic of U.S. policy in the
region.

In Caracas, Venezuela's foreign minister, Nicolas Maduro, said the U.S.
probe is an attempt to damage relations between Venezuela and its Latin
American partners.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack rejected allegations the
operation was anything more than a criminal investigation.

"This is not an issue of U.S.-Argentine relations," said Sean
McCormack. "This is a matter of U.S. law enforcement enforcing U.S.
laws on U.S. soil."

The four men arrested in Miami face a fine and up to 10 years in prison
if convicted on charges of acting as undeclared foreign agents.

Officials say they are looking for a fifth suspect in the case.

U.S. authorities have filed no charges against Antonini, whose attorney
says he was unaware of the money in his luggage.

There is a town in Wales that is full of books. On every corner of
every cobbled street there is a store with second-hand books spilling
from its wooden shelves, and often several on the stretch in between.

Each year, this little town in the foothills of the Black Mountains —
usually a haven of peace for a quiet cream tea down by the river —
becomes a pilgrimage for the literary, intellectuals and people who
just love a good read as it holds Britain's greatest festival of books,
the Hay Festival.

Last year the festival, which sees a collection of the world's leading
authors, poets, musicians and speakers gather to share their thoughts
and works with the reading public, was transported across the ocean to
an equally attractive little town with the added bonuses of sun and
sea.

Cartagena de Indias, a colonial town in Colombia, will host the second
Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias this January, with a bevy of stars of
the page from Pullitzer Prize-winners to U.N. ambassadors.

Dubbed the 'Woodstock of the Mind' by Bill Clinton, the Hay Festival
has enjoyed the presence of great minds such as Nobel Lauretes Wole
Soyinka and Derek Walcott, biologist and TV presenter David
Attenborough and hundreds of authors from Norman Mailer to Louis de
Berniers and Germaine Greer.

They impart their wisdom through presentations, conversations,
round-table discussions, political debates, music, poetry, film and
anything else they can think of to engage the audience, which always
asks difficult questions afterwards and expects a decent book-signing
session where they can reverence or shun the celebrity in question.

The format has been transferred almost unaltered to Colombia, chosen
for its link to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whose novel "One Hundred Years
of Solitude" is often thought to embody the revival of Latin American
literature in the boom years of the 1960s, encapsulating the sentiments
and promoting the identity of a continent in the upheaval of revolution
and change during the decade after Fidel Castro came to power.

Here, however, 70 percent of the program will be in Spanish, with
simultaneous translations into English for the many international
guests that are expected to come to the four-day festival.

Alice Walker, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Color Purple,"
a novel dealing with racism in the deep South of the United States which was
subsequently made into an Oscar-nominated film by Stephen Spielberg, is
arguably the most famous author on the bill, which was announced Thursday.

Cinema buffs will undoubtedly pack out the auditorium for a discussion
with Stephen Frears Jan 27, the British director whose major
succeses include "Dangerous Liaisons," "High Fidelity" and more recently
"The Queen."

Pulitzer Prize-winner Alice
Walker will be the star
of the show at Cartagena literary festival

Back in June, a tent full of mostly middle-aged bookish types became a
temporary party site, with everyone up to the most unlikely
starch-collared men and tweed-skirted women dancing in the aisles to
the sound of Baaba Maal's irresistible stage show.

The previous U.N. ambassador from Senegal, who still looks 20 when he is
dancing to his drummers' African rythms and singing his unique vocals
but who has actually just turned 54, will undoubtedly repeat his
success in a concert on Jan. 24 at the festival, and then talk about
his political work and the problems faced by his home continent of
Africa in the new millenium.

A sprinkling of other authors such as Man Booker Prize-winners Annie
Enwright and Kiran Desai, will be among the other representatives of
the West.

The environment has traditionally been a topic that preoccupied the
festival, and it is involved with and supports various environmental
charities including SolarAid, a carbon offsetting charity.

This year, Hay saw George Monbiot give an inspirational speech about
climate change, but a debate about literature and the environment seems
to be the only inclusion in the Cartagena program.

Instead, political subjects such as populism in Latin America and
international development will be covered, alongside plenty of talks
about creative writing and the way novels are formed, largely given by
Latin American authors of high caliber.

Animation workshops for children, held by the creator of animated music
band Gorillaz, and cultural tours of Cartagena, a city that inspired Garcia
Marquez's magical realist writings, will also be available during the
festival that lasts from Jan. 24 to 27.
A full program and prices are available at
http://www.hayfestival.com/cartagena/eng-programme.aspx

Christmas Entertainment ...

Time to get into the Christmas Spirit

The run-up to Christmas is a time of panicking about where you're going
to find fresh cranberries, deliberating about whether you can really
buy socks for your aunt for the fourth year running, and struggling
through Multiplaza in Escazú like a packhorse, dodging the toy
train and
cursing the dancing Christmas tree.

Amid all the hassle it can be difficult to get yourself into the
Christmas spirit until you finally sit down on Christmas Eve, down a
swift sherry and breathe a sigh of relief that the only obstacle you
have left is the cooking.

Opportunities do, however, abound in San José for a bit of
old-fashioned festivity during Advent, from getting hooked on an epic
cinematic adventure to joining in some Christmas carol singing with
tinsel in your hair.

Passion is
contagious. Inspired work from someone who is emotionally
invested provokes similar commitments from those lucky enough to
witness Sharkwater film footage
it.

Rob Stewart's "Sharkwater" documentary inspires this kind of
passion. Stewart is an underwater photographer and biologist
which is immediately obvious to the viewer with his stunning imagery
and knowledgeable facts about shark life.

"Sharkwater" is visually astonishing. It was filmed in
high-definition and effectively incorporates historical U.S.
government-issued public service announcements that are among the
best comic fodder from old-school footage reels.

Obsessed with sharks since childhood, Stewart realized that the world's
shark population is estimated to have declined by 90 percent and
commited himself to saving them.

Michael ClaytonGeorge Clooney's hit and miss film career once again gets
it right as he plays a burnt-out fixer for a powerful law firm in this
thriller. He covers up the indiscretions of the rich and famous, and is
expected to pull the senior lawyer back into line when he has a
breakdown in the middle of an important case. A dirty tricks campaign
waged between the two sides of the court case ensues. The film has
received excellent reviews for its acting and ambience.

The painted veil (Al otro lado del mundo)Not exactly Christmas fare, but beautifully filmed none
the less. Edward Norton plays a doctor that takes his unwilling wife
(Naomi Watts) to China in the middle of a cholera epidemic, allegedly
to offer help to the dying but also to punish her for an affair she had
because of her lack of love for the doctor. This love is inspired all
too late by the hardship they endure.

Alvin and the Chipmunks (Alvin y
las ardillas)
Those irritating little singing rodents finally get the CGI treatment
in the wake of Garfield and their other cartoon friends. A record
company manager is trying to exploit the chipmunks in this latest of
offerings to entertain the kids at Christmas. They may indeed be
pleased, as the chipmunks are pretty cute, but the same cannot be said
for the adults who have to sit through the poorly developed plot and
lacklustre acting.

Art Galleries ....

Mistaken identity? No such thing, says new
exhibitionCosta Rica is
a land of volatile volcanoes, orchids, coffee fincas,
Catholicism and Ticos.

Or you could say it's a country of wide seashores, football stadiums,
fast food restaurants and beach towns overtaken by Gringos.

Some are clichéd symbols of a
tourist nation, while others are
part of the country's changing culture, but all are involved in Museo
de Arte Costarricense's new exhibition that challenges
viewers to
reconsider their own perceptions of the nation.

It is not new to propose that identity is an insecure,
many-faceted
thing that shifts with each person's viewpoint, but the concept is
explored very effectively by the interactive "Las posibilidades de la
mirada" (the possibilities of the glance).

A fat, Hawaiian shirt-clad, red-faced Gringo, lifting his hand to guard
his eyes from the tropical sunlight, greets the museum's visitors at
the entrance.

He stands next to a placard that describes the exhibition as a
consideration of cultural identity and national territory, encouraging
people to think about the way ideas of Costa Rica are formed and to see
that interpretations of identity are endless and open.

Banco Central
exhibit
brings out
the animal
in artThe
Museos del
Banco Central de Costa Rica is running "La Animalística en el
Arte Costarricense" in its temporary
exhibition space below
the Plaza de la Cultura. The collection presents the
varying uses and depictions of
animals by Costa Rican artists
throughout history.

The exhibition
signage placed at the entrance said that the presented works depict
animals from two perspectives.
Read more - click here

Dramatic Arts ...

Minotaur theme wins contemporary dance festival

The search
for happiness within ourselves rather than in superficial external
objects was the theme of the winning dance at the 24th Festival de
Coreografos this weekend. A bull-headed dancer took the centre of
attention of Antonio Corrales' piece “Solo sueña un minotauro,”
presented in front of an international board of judges Sunday.

The judges said that the composition stood out from the other nine
contemporary dance acts for its "good choreographic approach, good
line, good idea, excellent lighting design, continuity
with symbols and finally poetry.”

Corrales was both the choreographer and the dancer of the piece, which
is the first entry he has made into the competition as a choreographer.

Four other acts were also chosen to participate in the opening night of
next year's festival: “Imágenes imaginadas para imaginar, serie
I,” by
Rogelio López, “Mil kilómetros” by Nandayure Harley, “MIA
ZOI,” by
Iréni Stamou and “4 a.m.” by Silvia Ortiz and David
Hernández.

Symphonic Conductor is a big supporter of
music education

A mugging at gunpoint could have robbed Costa Rica's Orquesta
Sinfónica Nacional of its new conductor just as he was beginning
the job, but the conductor, Chosei Komatsu,
did not turn his back on San José, and now the next generation
of musicians is feeling the benefit.

Eating ice cream in the same hotel outside which he was mugged in 2004,
the sweet-toothed conductor recounts how the media assumed that he
would flee the country immediately.

"I told them I would fulfill my job," he said. "Musical education
conductor Chosei Kamatsu can help to abate the rising violence in this
country. I want to put violins instead of guns into the hands of the
children."

Last month Komatsu saw a big step forward, as the government of his
home country, Japan, finally agreed to a $500,000 donation to the
Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional and the Instituto Nacional de Musica.

The money, which Komatsu asked for when he was appointed in 2003, has
gone towards replacing 25-year-old tubas and other important
instruments for the orchestra, as well as getting better facilities for
the educational institute.

Komatsu said he knows that it is important to get children interested
from a young age, as he first became determined to follow a career in
conducting as a 4-year-old watching Austrian conductor Herbert von
Karajan in action on television.

With a vaulted
glass ceiling, palm trees lining the pathway and posh lighting, one
would not expect Saga restaurant to be settled behind a dull parking
lot in Escazú.

Although this restaurant may look
out of place, it doesn't deviate much from the norm in Escazú,
an area many would classify as suburban sprawl.

The majority of the cuisine at Saga
seems to fit with the setting: classy presentation, yet lacking any
profound flavors. Although the restaurant boasts itself as an
“international food restaurant” on its Web site, much of the inspired
cuisine is lacking the depth which would be found in authentic dishes.
There is no direct theme and the menu seems somewhat scattered.

The
usually
sedate
sportfishing town of Quepos is awaiting a greater
inundation of visitors than usual this high season, as a gang of rock
bands will descend on it for aclaim will put Quepos
on the
international music festival map.

Experienced American promoters and their rock star friends have
taken a gamble on the festival, even though they said they were warned
that it was doomed to failure by prominent Costa Rican promoter Marvin
Cordoba.

Five American bands, a Panamanian group and a Canadian band will be
flown in to play alongside a line-up of around 10 Costa Rican bands
that is rumored to include both Gandhi and Malpaís, currently
the country's most popular home-grown talent.

Texas blues bands are heading down to Santa Ana for an afternoon of
live music. BBQ's and cold beers will accompany artists including
Smokin Joe Kubek & Bnois King and Robbie Clarke & the Live Wire
Blues Band.

Two stages at Motorpsychos Bar and Grill will host a total of seven
bands during the afternoon of Feb. 9. Tickets cost $25 and can be
found by contacting www.bluesdevilsband.com.

Identidad Art Festival

Fifty artists will have the enviable job of displaying their work on a
warm beach in Guanacaste this February, as part of the Identidad Art
Festival.

Hosted by Playa Conchal Reserve, the festival aims to revive the
cultural values of the area, promoting local art as a tourist
attraction.

Painters, sculptors and musicians are all welcome to participate and
show of Costa Rican talent to the high
season tourists during Feb. 2-4.

Organisers Jaguart are on the lookout for artists to participate in the
show. Interested parties should visit the site
www.myspace.com/identidadartfest

Some points to
consider as you move up to higher-limit games

Many
players think about competing in higher stakes games. It’s a
natural
progression as your skills improve, yet there’s still a lot to consider
when moving up in limits.

The first thing to think about is whether you’re truly capable of
winning in bigger games. With rare exceptions, you’ll be facing
better
quality players as you move up to higher limits. So before you
even
consider jumping to that next level, be honest with yourself about how
you fare at your current stakes.

Keeping records is a must. It’s the only way you’ll accurately
know
how well you’re doing in a particular game over the long run. If
you
determine that you win handily and regularly at your current limit,
then you just might be ready to take that next step.

Here are a few guidelines to follow when you do make the jump to higher
limits.

Play shorter sessions.

To play effectively in higher stakes games, especially in your first
few outings, play shorter sessions. You simply can’t play at a
peak
performance level if you’re mentally or physically fatigued. If
you
normally sit for 8 to 10 hours at your current game, don’t play for
more than 4 to 6 hours at the higher stakes game until you start to
feel comfortable.

Decide on a loss limit and stick to it.

One of the key reasons players fail when they move to higher limits has
less to do with talent and more to do with pressure. In higher
stakes
games, players must be able to endure bigger financial swings. A
few
bad beats can send even the best players on tilt. Even worse, an
unexpected loss can quickly erode your poker confidence and turn you
into a scared-money player.

To combat this effect, make sure to set a loss limit that you can
handle both emotionally and financially. If you lose that money,
even
if it’s in the first 10 minutes, get up and leave. For example,
if you
normally play $5-$10 no-limit hold’em but decide to step it up to
$10-$20, don’t risk more than your initial buy-in. A $2,000 loss
limit
might be appropriate for some, but it’s important to set a limit that’s
right for your own situation and playing ability.

Whatever your loss limit, it’s critical that you stick to it! For
that, you’ll need self-control. If you don’t trust yourself,
never
bring more money than your loss limit as this will

prevent you from impulsively buying additional chips. Take a walk
back
to your hotel before you thoughtlessly decide to reload your
wallet.
The fresh air just might knock some needed sense into you.

Play a low fluctuation style of poker.

If the game you’re thinking about jumping into appears to be
fast-paced
with crazy action, don’t play. Instead, look for a game that’s
more
controllable when you decide to step up to higher limits. This
way you
can comfortably get your feet wet and play a patient game.

It’s important to play cautiously in your first higher limit
sessions.
Don’t make overly aggressive or tricky plays. Remember, your
realistic
goal is to not lose big. Use this new experience to get
accustomed to
the higher stakes and to pick up on your opponents’ styles and
tendencies. Only after you’ve logged some hours playing at higher
stakes should you take chances with bluffs and more aggressive
play.

Here’s one final point.

Determine your own motivation for playing higher limit poker.

Is it ego, the desire to improve your game against better competition,
or is it simply about making more money? If it’s all about the
money,
consider that you might actually do better playing small limit games
against weak opponents than you would facing advanced players in high
limit games.

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